The physician specialists of the Division of Thoracic Surgery not only provide the latest procedures but also participate in leading-edge research to advance patient care. At NorthShore, we offer a number of clinical trials for the treatment of lung and esophageal cancers, as well as other non-malignant thoracic conditions.

Jointly led by thoracic surgery and medical oncology, our multispecialty Thoracic Oncology Program (TOP) is both a clinical and research effort to ensure personalized cancer care. Our thoracic research teams meet weekly to review local and national clinical trials, and investigator-initiated studies that might offer the best treatment options for each patient’s unique situation.

The NorthShore thoracic surgery team also participates in the ProvenCare® Lung Cancer Collaborative. Co-sponsored by Geisinger Health System and the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, this multi-institutional initiative focuses on evidence-based best practices for the surgical treatment of lung cancer patients.

NorthShore patients also contribute to the advancement of research through our Thoracic Tumor Data Registry and Biorepository. The registry and biobank contain clinical data and tissue samples from hundreds of thoracic tumors. This rich resource provides valuable genetic and clinical information critical to better understanding, diagnosing, preventing and treating a wide-array of thoracic cancers.